Yes, creatine can make your muscles look bigger in the short term (1-3 weeks), especially during a loading phase. You could not load but it would take a lot longer to reap the maximum effectiveness of creatine.” For most lifters, a loading phase will allow them to get a bigger benefit right from the start. It works by increasing the creatine content in your muscles, which is a process that happens over weeks. Now, to Niclas question: what happens if you miss a few days of creatine? The answer lies in the fact that creatine’s effect isn’t acute. But if you’re a larger-than-average person, or don’t notice benefits with 5 grams per day, go ahead and try taking 10 grams of creatine daily. Is 5 grams of creatine a day enough?Īt Levels, we recommend most people take 5 grams of creatine daily to enhance exercise performance. After your muscles are fully saturated with creatine, it’s recommended to take 3–5 grams (14 mg/pound or 30 mg/kg) daily to maintain optimal muscle stores. Taking too much creatine at one time can result in stomach discomfort and bloating, and it’s a waste of money. After the loading phase is over, people typically take lower doses of 3-5 grams per day of creatine to maintain elevated creatine levels. How many grams of creatine should I take after loading phase?ĭuring creatine loading, people use doses of 20-30 grams per day for 5-7 days to reach maximum muscle saturation levels of creatine. Evidence shows that supplementing with a smaller dose will have the same effect, but it’ll just take a bit longer to maximise creatine storage, which can be achieved by a daily dose of 3-5g. 24 Are you still natural with creatine? Should I do a loading phase with creatine?Ī creatine loading phase isn’t strictly necessary.

Creatine loading phase